Rail-clamp.



A. DUMONT.

RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FiLED APR. 9.1917- Patented Aug. v 7 1917.

ALBERT DUMONT, or DETROIT, MIHIGAN.

RAIL-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Allg. 7,1917.

Application filed April 9, 1917. Serial No. 160,821.

To all 'whom t may concern.' v

Be it known that I, rALBERT DUMONT, a citizen of the United States,residing atDetroit, in the county of l/Vayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Clamps; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates generally to railroad appliances, and moreparticularly to certain new and useful improvements in rail clamps.

The primary obj ect of the invention is to provide a means whereby theends of two adjacent rails may be firmly clamped togethe'r without theuse of bolts or other similar loose securing elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rail clamp, the greater'portion of vwhichfis disposed beneath the flange of the rail and thusout of the way of the wheels of the trains, and also in such a positionthat will not invite meddlesome persons to.

reliable in operation, and well adapted to i the purpose for which it isdesigned.

With these and numerous other objects in View, the Vinvention consistsof certain novel features of construction and the combination andarrangement of partsV which will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawing wherein the preferred form of the inventionyis illustrated:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device constructed 'in accordance withthis invention, showing it in clamped relation with the ends of a pairof adjacent rail sections;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the device applied to the rail,taken on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane indicated bythe line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In specifically describing the structu-re shown in the drawings abovebriefly described, similar reference characters willjbe used todesignate like parts'throughout the several views, and reference will beherein made to the various elements by their respective indices. Tothisend, the letters A, A represent the ends of a pair of adj acent railsections, which are of the usual construction having a tread flange a,base flange b and a vertical web c connecting the two flanges.Obviously, these parts foim no part of the present invention, and aremerely shown and described for the-purpose of making the use andconstruction of the present invention clear.

ingprovided at its edges with inwardly extending lugs 3 havingalinedapertures 4f.

therein, while the member 2 is provided intermediate of its edges with alug 5k also having an aperture 6 therein. The lug 5 is disposed betweenthe lugs 3, the aperturc 6 being alined with the apertures l, and apivot pin 7 is theninsertedthrough these apertures to hinge the twomembers together. As shown, they are hinged together at a'pointintermediate their upper and lower ends. l l

The inner sides of the upper ends of the members l and 2 engage theopposite sides of the web c of the rails and are provided with opposingrecesses 8 which receive the opposite'sides ofthe base flange b.

To prevent the clamp from moving longitudinally along the rail, a smallstud or pin 9 carried by the member l is inserted in an opening d in theweb of the rail. This pin 9 may be formed as an integral part of themember l, or itmay, as here shown,`be driven intoa socket arranged insaid member. i

The inner sides of the lower ends of the members 1 and 2 are providedwith opposing recesses 10, which are substantially semicircular insection in order to provide for the reception of a wedge member. Thiswedge member consists of a longitudinal pin l1, which is greater indiameter than the distance between the opposite walls of the recesses 10whenthe members 1 and 2 are in position upon the rail ready to .be v

rupt taper 12 which is sufficient to expand the lower ends of themembers l and 2 to allow the pin 1l to be driven between the same, andwhen this is done, the upper ends of the members are moved into theirclamping position.

In applying the attachment to use, the two members while in separatedcondition, that is, with the pin 11 removed, are disposed on oppositesides of the rails. rfhe pin 7 is then inserted in place, and when it isdesired yto clamp the ends of the rail sections together, the pin 11 isdriven into place.

It will be seen that the hinge and wedge member are disposed directlybeneath the central portion of the rail, and hence there are noprojecting or protruding members to become broken. Furthermore, in suchposition the separable members will not become readily detached orinvite meddlesome persons to interfere with and detach the same. 1

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, use and operation of the devicewill be readily understood without a more extended explanation.l

As various changes in form, proportion, and in the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit ofthis invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limitedto the precise construction herein shown andtd'escribed.

I claim l. A device of the class describedvcomprising a pair of clampmembers hinged together between their ends, one of the ends of saidmembers being adapted to engage the opposite sides of the rail, andmeans for relatively expanding the other ends of said member so as tomove their first mentioned ends into clamping position.

2. A device of the class described comprising a pair of clamp membershinged-to gether between their ends, one of the ends of said membersbeing adapted to engage the opposite sides of the rail, and a wedgemember inserted between the other ends `of said members to relativelyexpand said other Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve centseach, by addressing Washington, 1D. C. I

ends so as to move their first mentioned ends into clamping position.

3. A device of the class described comprising a pair of clamp membershinged together between their ends` one of the ends of said membersbeing adapted to engage the opposite sides of the rail, and a pininserted longitudinally between the other ends ofsaid members torelatively expand said other ends so as to move their first mentionedends into clamping position.

4l. A device of the class described comprising a pair of clamp membershinged together between their ends, one of the ends of said membersbeing adapted to engage the opposite sides of the rail, the innerl facesof the other ends of said members being provided with opposing recesses,and a pin inserted longitudinally between the said other ends of saidmembers to relatively expand said other ends so as to move their firstmentioned ends into clamping position.

5. A device of the class described comprising a pair of clamp membershinged together between their ends, the inner sides of one of the endsof said members being adapted to engage the opposite sides of the webofthe rail and being provided with opposing recesses vto receive thebase flange thereof, and means for relatively expanding the other endsVof said members so as to move their first mentioned ends into clampingposition.

6. The combination with a rail oint, of a clamp composed of a pair ofclamp members hinged together between their ends, one of the ends ofsaid members engaging the opposite sides of said rail, and a wedge pininserted between the other ends of `said members for relativelyexpanding said-other ends so as lto move their first mentioned ends intoclamping position, the hinge of said member and saidA pin being disposeddirectly beneath the rail.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

, ALBERT DUMONT.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH V. KRIMMEL, JOHN F. EATHERLY.

the Commissioner of Patents,

